Kala Pola, Sri Lanka’s annual open-air art fair, turned Colombo into a riot of colour for the 23rd time, shining a spotlight on a variety of visual artists of Sri Lanka. Organised by The George Keyt Foundation and the John Keells Group, Kala Pola 2016 took place on 31st January 2016. 308 registered artists and over 22,000 estimated visitors flocked into Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha, Colombo 07 which was adorned with a variety of art ranging from breath-taking paintings and life-like portraits to abstract art and intricate sculptures. Gracing the official ceremony as Chief Guest was H.E. Dr. Jürgen Morhard, the German Ambassador for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, the Chairman and Trustees of The George Keyt Foundation and the Chairman of John Keells Holdings PLC, Mr. Susantha Ratnayake. Addressing the gathering, H. E. Dr. Jürgen Morhard said, “It’s always impressive for us to witness that Sri Lanka is not

Colombo 17 November 2015, Colombo: It wasn’t the legendary Banksy that carved a place for street art and urban creativity – while his emergence created a new breed of defiant graffiti artists across the world, this modern, outdoor discipline can be traced back to the gangs of New York in the 20’s and 30’s, using outdoor spaces to express their territorial instincts via a paint brush instead of a gun. Later on, by the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st, street art evolved into a complex interdisciplinary form of expression – combining graffiti, stencil, print and mural – through large scale pieces and collaborative projects. It is safe to say that street art has found its way into the core of contemporary art – and Sri Lanka, with its many creative minds, is not one to be left behind. Our post-war boom hasn’t necessarily only been